Forage cutter



0. E- HINTZ EI'AL FoRAcgz CUTTER Oct. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1951 ff" .i' I Ralph Pwcs. PM

m W W m Uiall Oct. 27, 1953 Filed July 12, 1951 O. E. HINTZ ETAL F ORAGE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

PMQ E). P ww Patented Oct. 27, 1953 FORAGE CUTTER Otto E. Hintz, Riversid Chicago, Ill., assignor vcster Company, a co e, and Ralph Schlnke, s to International Harrporation of New Jersey Application July 12, 1951, Serial N 0. 236,348

This invention relates to forage reducing mechanisms and more particularly to a novel cutter head therefor.

A general object of the invention is to design a simple, rugged and durable cutter which will perform efliciently in service and be exception-al ly free fromclogging. l l y A more specific object is to devise arotary cutter incorporating a plurality of circumferentially spaced knife blades which is disposed a fiinger extending radially inwardly thereof and adapted to sling the material severed by the blade and discharge it by centrifugal force into a discharge spout of the mechanism of which the cutter is apart. a v l 1 Another object isto design each blade witha guide surface on its inner side arranged to deposit the bulk of the severed material into a palm at the inner extremity of the fiinger there behind whereby maximum propulsion may be imparted to the material when it discharges from the radially outer extremity of the flinger.

A further object is to devise a knife blade of rigid cross section in both radial and circumferential directions to prevent the blade from bending or buckling under the high speeds at Which the cutter is operated and which is narrow in the direction of travel so as to prevent the material from building up on its inner face after severance;

Adifferent object is to obtain a knife with good self-scouring characteristics.

A still further object is to. provide a cutter wherein the fiinger and knives are readily replaceable.

The invention contemplates a novel arrangement of braces for attaching and positioning the flingers and knives onto the support drums and which oiier least interference to the action of the cutter, and which are arranged to be stressed in a manner developing substantially their maximum. strength.

An important object is to devise. a cutter wherein the material is severed and principally carried by the cutter, that is Without sliding against the enclosing casing whereby power requirements are reduced, wear is diminished and maximum propulsion of the discharging material is obtained.

More particularly the invention contemplates a correlation between the inlet and outlet of the cutter mechanism with the action of the cutter head so as to discharge the bulk of the material substantially up the center of the discharge conduit.

behind each of f.

the inlet 8 9 Claims. (01. 146-407) A further object is to develop a cutter which produces a blower action to accentuate discharge.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a radial edge view of the cutter head.

Figure 2 is an endviewof the cutter head with portions of the associated forage harvester shown in longitudinal vertical section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutter taken from the right of Figure l.

Describingthe invention in detail, the cutter head generally designated 2 may be part of the reducing mechanism of a forage harvester such as shown in a copending application Serial No. 213,398 filed on March 1, 1951, for Stalk Crop Harvester, and now Patent No. 2,634,569.

The cutter head may be positioned within a cylindrical casing 4 which may be closed by paneling at each end, except for air holes 5, 5 which are centrally located, the casing having a circumferential panel 6 which may extend around the bottom of the casing between and the outlet Ill, the latter communicating with a duct or pipe I 2 extending substantially tangentially upwardly from the casing.

The inlet 8 is provided on the lower lip thereof with an adjustable shear bar 14 over which the forage is fed into the cutter head.

The cutter head is in general a cylindrical structure comprising a pair of annular drums l6 and I8 disposed at opposite ends thereof. Each drum includes a central hub 20 with radially outwardly extending spokes 22 which are integrally formed at their outer ends with a felly or rim 24. Each hub is snugly fitted onto a driving shaft 26 and suitably keyed thereto.

A plurality of knife and fiinger assemblies generally designated 28 are positioned about the drums and extend axially thereof across the iellys of said drums.

Each blade is supported radially outwardly of the drums by a pair of brackets 4c and 42 disposed respectively adjacent opposite ends of the blade. Each bracket comprises a flat plate section 44 positioned edgewise circumferentially of the cutter head. The outer edge 46 of the plate 44 is provided with a notch 48 at the corner formed with the leading edge 56 of the plate. The shape of the notch conforms to the contour of the trailing and inner faces of the knife and snugly pockets the same therein. The knife is secured to the plate as by welding at 52 around the margins of the notch.

The leading edge 50 of the plate has its outer extremity positioned at the inner face of the associated blade intermediate the leading and trailing edges thereof and is angled inwardly rearwardly of or raked oppositely to the direction of travel of the cutter head. This provides clearance for any material which may have been cut by the knife at points in circumferential alignment with the plate section of the related bracket. The inner edge of each plate section at is formed adjacent to its leading edge 50 with a laterally extending securing lug 54 which is of arcuate contour in edge view conforming to the curvature of the outer periphery of the related felly. The flange 54 is apertured centrally thereof and receives a bolt therethrough securing the same against the felly. It Will be noted that the inner edge of each plate section is cut out to form a notch 56 and that the greatest depth of notch 56 is at its forward end immediately to the rear of flange 54 and that the edge line of the notch extends circumferentially with respect to the cutter head and is angled radially inwardly and rearwardly of the direction of travel. This facilitates bending of the lug portion 54 of the plate section without distorting the plate section or reducing the strength thereof and its extent of connection to the flinger 58 therebehind.

Each flinger 58 is spiraled in the same manner as the blades and comprises a palm-like section or trough 60 at its inner end which is concaved on its outwardly facing side 62, the trough section curving a substantial distance inwardly forwardly. The inner portion of each section 56 extends into the area in axial alignment with the openings 5 in the side panels of the housing. The outer extremity of the section 6!) merges into the inner end of a tangentially arranged substantially flat paddle or slinger section 6A which has a positive inclination or attitude in the direction of rotation of the cutter. The outer extremity of the slinger section 64 terminates radially inwardly of the outer surface 34 of the associated knife.

It will be observed that the curvature of the inner face 38 of each blade inwardly opposite to the direction of rotation of the cutter causes the bulk of the material which is cut by the leading edge of the knife to be guided by said inner face to deposit at the outer extremity of the root portion or trough section of the flinger therebehind. The momentum of the material slides or carries the same into the center or beyond the center of the palm. The substantial length or forward extension of the palm together with its curvature in the direction of rotation of the cutter resists the material from sliding off the forward inner extremity of the palm by frictional resistance as well as by imposing an opposing centrifugal force which eventually reverses the movement of the material. This action has been positively substantiated by high speed motion pictures. Insubstantial fringes of the spray of material at time of shredding may pass in front of the related slinger and may be caught in the stream of air moving to the slinger thereahead but action is fast enough and inconsequential and even this material discharges properly. It will be seen that the positive inclination or angling of the slinger portion in the direction of rotation is conducive to the material initially sliding into the trough section as it leaves the guide face of the cutting blade which also imparts a force cornponent on the material directing it inwardly of the cutter. It will now be readily seen that if the slinger section were angled in a direction opposite that shown, the material would immediately begin to slide or be batted outwardly of the rotor. This effort would be wasteful inasmuch as the material would merely be thrown against the circumferential panel of the casing and thereafter be dragged therealong whereby the conveying force or the propelling effect to fling the material at the discharge zone would be almost wholly expended in frictional drag and inefficient application. The arrangement of the sections of the flinger and the knife together with the initial moment of the material contribute to effect a lag in the outward movement of the material inasmuch as it must recover from its movement into the flinger and then slide out of the trough and onto the slinger section to be discharged peripherally therefrom. The inner extremity of each fiinger is developed with a radial component to provide a fan inlet which directs the air over the flinger to accentuate discharge.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the centerline of the outlet is disposed approximately 225 from the inlet. The positive inclination of the slinger sections of the discharging means of the cutter develops a compromise trajectory for the material which directs the bulk thereof in a path initially extending slightly diagonally forwardly with respect to the centerline of the discharge pipe. The air resistance to movement of the material eventually courses the material along the centerline and if the material moves far enough, it may even curve to the rear of the centerline. The plates A l subdivide the iiingers and prevent the material from accumulating at the trailing ends of the flingers and also form pockets or air chutes or channels for the air issuing radially outwardly.

Each flinger is connected on its front side adjacent to each end to the related knife by welding at 68 to the trailing edges of the plate sections of brackets 49 and 42.

The trough section of each fiinger is cut out at its inner edge adjacent each end a at I0 and 12 to receive the drums l6 and 18 therein whereby the fiingers straddle the drums, the center section 14 (Figure 3) of each slinger being positioned between the drums and the end sections 16 and 18 being located outwardly of the drums l6 and (8 respectively. This permits making the fiingers axially coextensive with the knives and develops a radial fan component to pick up the air entering through the holes 5, 5 in the side panels of the enclosing casing.

The rear side of each flinger is pocketed adjacent to each end within a complementary cutout Bil within the leading edge of a flat plate segment 82 of a bracket 84 or 86 and connected thereto by welding 88, bracket 84 being disposed adjacent one end of the flinger and bracket 86 adjacent to the other end.

The outer edge 90 of each segment 82 may terminate inwardly of the plane of the outer edge 46 of the plate section of the bracket connected to the opposite side of the flinger and the trailing edge 92 of each segment 82 may parallel the leading edge 50 of the related bracket 4|] or 42. The lower edge of each segment 82 is bent laterally to provide an arcuate lug 94 adapted to fit complementally against the adjacent rim and secured through an aperture therein by a bolt 98 to the related rim.

It will be observed that the adjacent sections 44 and 82 are laterally offset with respect to each other. This improves welding onto the flinger inasmuch as the same metal is not heated for prolonged periods first on one side and then on the other with consequent deleterious effects on the metal chemistry and the nature of the weld. The parallel and proximate arrangement of plates 44 and 82 obtains additive strengths of both thereof to circumferential thrusts. The oilsetting of the brackets permits intercalation of the brackets of adjacent assemblies so as to obtain a compact, rigid and balanced structure.

From a consideration of Figure 2 it will be seen that each bracket construction 40, 84 at one side of the cutter or 42, 86 at the other side-of the cutter feature a parallelogram plate arrangement with the knife at the outermostand leading corner and the connection to the drum taking place at the lower forward corner and rearwardmost trailing corner which is located diagonally with respect to the leading corner. brackets contribute principally in compression to resist the shearing loads onthe knife and each serve to hold the flinger, and; also the brackets of the adjacent assemblies by hearing against each other laterally stiffen the construction axially of the cutter.

It will be noted that the spiral of the knives is such as to provide continuous cutting and in the present instance the eight knives are spaced 45, in other words it is located about one eighth of a full turn. Thus vibration and erratic action of the cutter is eliminated inasmuch as the cutting is continuous.

What is claimed is:

1. A forage cutter comprising rotatable axially perforated support means including a shaft with a pair of axially spaced drums keyed thereon, a plurality of knives spaced circumferentially about the drums and connected thereto, peripheral blower means intercalated with saidknives circumferentially of the cutter and disposed radially inwardly of the knives, each of said blower mean including a slinging surface having a positive inclination radially outwardly in the direction of rotation of the cutter, scoop means extending forwardly from the inner extremity of said surface between and. at the remote extremitiesof said drums radially inwardly of the outer peripheries of said drums and in axial alignment with the perforations in the drums, and guide means on said knives formed and arranged to deposit the material cut thereby into said scoop means whereby during rotation of the cutter outward blowing of the material i initiated from substantially the radially innermost extent of said blower means to effect maximum propulsion of the material as it is discharged from said cutter.

2. A forage cutter including a rotatable support providing an annular attachment surface, and. blades positioned about said surface and spaced radially outwardly therefrom, and means for securing each blade to the surface and including a connecting structure disposed with its principal plane transaxially of the axis of rota- Thus, all

tion of the structure and raked outwardly in the direction of rotation of the cutter and having a leading corner at its outermost extremity secured to the associated blade and having a segmental cylindrical portion providing a complemental fit on its inner edge against the surface, said portion secured against the surface to said support at the trailing corner of the structure and also at a point forwardly thereof circumferentially successive connecting structures disposed in partially overlapping contacting relationship axially of the cutter.

3. In a forage cutter, a rotatable support, an annular series of knives secured thereto, a fiinger spaced behind each knife, a circumferential enclosure for the cutter having an inlet and an outlet. angularly spaced therefrom and spaced side panels with air inlet openings therethrough open to the center of the cutter, each flinger having an innermost palm section and a slinger leading outwardly therefrom, each knife and slinger comprising surfaces arranged to direct the material as it is cut by the knife at said inlet opening into said palm and each palm being curved to expend the initial moment of the material into the; center of the cutter, the surfaces of the palm and slinger merging to form a curved path for the material as it is urged outwardly by centrifugal force to control the peripheral discharge of the material in such manner that it discharges from the slinger when the same is at the discharge opening of the enclosure, each palm extending radially inwardly of the cutter to an area in axial alignment with said openings in said side panels.

4 In a material severing and conveying mechanism, a cutter comprising coaxial annular members spaced side by side, driving means connected thereto, a plurality of circumferentially spaced knife and flinger assemblies about said members and connected thereto, each assembly comprising a flinger positioned back of its associated knife and spiraling generally parallel therewith, brackets holding said assemblies outwardly of the members and connecting each blade with its associated flinger and the flinger and. knife with. the adjacent member, the brackets of adjacent assemblies comprising plate sections intercalated axially of the cutter and bearing sidewise against each other to increase the rigidity thereof axially of the cutter.

5. For a reducing and conveying mechanism, an assembly comprising a knife at the outermost extremity of its leading edge, a flinger spaced back of the knife and extending lengthwis substantially coextensive therewith and generally paralleling the same, said knife and flinger spiraled axially of the mechanism, connectors between said knife and said flinger, and mounting means connected to the back of the flinger in areas immediately adjacent to the juncture of the flinger with said connectors, said mounting means and connectors having means for securement to an associated support structure said connectors subdividing said flinger into a plurality of axially contiguous pockets adapted to contain small portions of the material cut to prevent its bunching in low pressure areas.

6. A cutter comprising a pair of axially spaced drums, a plurality flingers spaced circumferentially about the drums and secured thereto and each having an intermediate section extending inwardly between the drums and end sections projecting inwardly at the remote ends of the drums, a knife disposed ahead of each fiinger at least partially outwardly thereof and secured to said drums and axially substantially coextensive with said flingers, said knives cutting and directing material to deposit on the inner portions of the fiingers and. each flinger designed to fling the material through centrifugal action through the periphery of the rotor in back of the associated knife.

7. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a shaft, a plurality of support members mounted on the shaft, blade and flinger assemblies secured to the peripheral portions of said members and extending genera11y longitudi- 'nally of the shaft axis, each flinger presenting at its inner end a concave material receiving surface facing in the general direction of assem bly travel and a generally flat slinger surface also facing in the direction of travel of the assembly and angled forwardly outwardly in converging relationship toward the trailing end of the blade thereahead, each blade having its leading edge portion internally beveled and sharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge directed in the general direction of travel of the blade, a casing structure surrounding the outer sides of the blades and having therein a pair of circumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings, and a shear bar mounted for severing coaction with the leading edge of each blade, the inner face of the blade guiding the material to jump across the space to the slinger surface of th flinger therebehind, which, being forwardly angled, slides the material to deposit into the concave surface thereof, the distance from said receiving Opening to the discharge opening being proportioned to cause the bulk of the material issuing from the flingers to discharge substantially through th center of the discharge opening said casing structure comprising spaced sides with air inlet apertures therethrough communicating with the radial center of said apparatus to the inner extremes of said concave surfaces whereby the latter are adapted to scoop the air and force it along the same and the related slinger surface radially outwardly to retard radially inward sliding movement of the material into the concave surface and reverse its movement and sling the same outwardly as aforesaid.

8. In a combination reducing and blowing mechanism, a rotatable cutter comprising a center shaft, a plurality of axially spaced skeletal drums connected to the shaft, a series of knife and flinger assemblies spiraled axially of the cutter and positioned circumferentially about said drums and extending axially outwardly therebeyond, each assembly comprising a knife at its leading end with respect to the direction of rotation of the cutter and a flinger spaced circumferentially therefrom therebehind, means interconnecting each knife with the associated flinger and comprising a plate extending generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutter and having a forward edge connected to the knife and a rear edge connected to the related flinger, said plates extending between each knife and related flinger subdividing the latter axially, each plate having means on its inner edge connected to the periphery of the ad-- jacent drum, each slinger having portions extending radially inwardly of each drum at opposite sides thereof and formed and arranged to provide an air deflector adapted to scoop air entering the center of the cutter axially through said skeletal drums, said plates adapted to confine material cut by the knives within the subdivisions of said slingers within which the material is initially deposited to prevent its accumulating at the trailing ends of the spiraled slingers, said plates and slingers extending a substantial distance radially of the cutter and deflectors for channelling the air in a radially outward direction.

9. For a rotatable reducing and conveying apparatus of the class described, an assembly comprising a knife blade at the outermost extremity of its leading edge, a flinger spaced behind and inwardly of said knife blade and comprising a slinger section substantially coextensive lengthwise With the knife blad and angled away from the knife blade in a direction from its radially outermost edge to its innermost extremity, and a palm section presenting a concave surface facing radially outwardly and extending forwardly with respect to the direction of intended rotation thereof from said extremity of said portion and radially inwardly thereof, and means interconnecting said knife blade with the flingers and subdividing the space therebetween into a series of radial air channels and material receiving areas.

OTTO E. HJNTZ. RALPH SCHINKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 647,473 Bunnell Apr. 17, 1900 948,871 Brown Feb. 8, 1910 1,639,807 Oppenheim et al. Aug. 23, 1927 1,908,966 Falkiner et al. May 16, 1933 2,222,073 Hauge Nov. 19, 1940 2,242,557 Urschel et al. May 20, 194

2,450,277 Frudden Sept. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 267,071 Switzerland June 1, 1950 672,100 France Sept. 14, 1929 

